Category Archives: Productivity

I have nothing against people who chose Human Resource as a profession. They are entitled to their choices. However what bothers me is first, the existence of such a department in the first place and second, the holier than thou attitude shown by most of the HR ‘professionals’. If the role of the HR is limited to enhancing the employee experience, I would be OK with it. Obviously we need something like an event management group within every organization and HR fits the bill here. But extending this role to recruitment and rewards are absolutely senseless according to me. I am saying this purely in the context of technology companies – software development / electronics in particular. Continue reading HR Department vs No HR Department→

Six Sigma and other hoaxes has been around for longer than it should. In most cases Six Sigma would be an impediment for productivity. Let me put forth my thoughts on pros and cons of buzz word laden methodologies like Six Sigma.Continue reading Six Sigma – Pros and Cons→

Microsoft is preparing to enter into a new era with the departure of Ballmer. Not that Ballmer’s period as the CEO was bad, but a bright future lies ahead for the technology giant. The acquisition of Nokia and a possible acquisition of BlackBerry would enable Microsoft to gain a much needed foothold in the mobile market – enterprise in particular.

It is rare to see a giant like Microsoft reinventing itself so drastically when they are enjoying a period of relatively good growth. This emphasizes that the company works towards its long term goals and cannot be judged by short term falls. Continue reading Microsoft 2.0 – The new Beginning→

These are a collection of Six Sigma humor from various sources. Though described as a joke, the morals are plain facts.

Humor based Fact #1:

A shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a flashy car advanced out of the dust towards him. The driver, a young man in an expensive suit, classy shoes, and a professional tie, leaned out the window and asked the shepherd, “If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?” Continue reading Six Sigma Humor, Jokes and Funny Facts→

Talks about Processes and methodology begins where innovation and creativity ends.

Six Sigma especially tries to quantify everything while qualifying nothing. And it miserably fails in any department where a little bit of innovation and creativity is needed (not just wanted). A fortune article (Jan. 22, 2001) stated that “of 58 large companies that have announced Six Sigma programs, 91 percent have trailed the S&P500 since”. That is a huge number of failure exclusively by force-fitting such redundant processes into a highly creative and technical organization. Continue reading Six Sigma is a sheer gimmick→